Point of Impact
by Divinion
Summary: [Modern Gangs AU] The streets of Magnolia are rife with corruption. The gangs rule the city; from the Lamia, to the Sabres, right the way down to the Ravens and Ogres. For seven years, the city's most powerful gang has not made a move to defend their territory, but now is the time for the Fairies to reclaim their lost power. Let the games begin.
1. The Stand-Off - Iron Sights

**Hi Fairy Tail Fans! Welcome to the dark and cruel world of Point of Impact!**

 **This fic is rated M for a distinct lack of anything non-M-rated. Please expect drugs, gore, prostitution, guns, violence and all of the horrible misdeeds which happen in a life of crime. That's just a part of the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Introduction – The Stand-Off**_

 _The rain poured from the sky as an impending apocalypse. The dark clouds swirled and pulsated, crackling with heavy droplets and booming roars of thunder. Streetlamps blurred in the falling curtains of water, reflecting the rainbows of gas running down dirty drains._

 _Between the wild weather and the heavy breathing, silence had never felt so unbearably loud._

 _Two bodies shivered against their cold adrenaline, both staring down the barrel of a gun held by their best friend. They were beyond words, beyond fear or betrayal, running purely on the instincts that cried out to kill. Killing was all the boys of the street knew. Defending their lives to the bitter end was their way, their culture, their religion, their world. Right and wrong had long since blurred between the levels of desperation and reputation. There had been lines, however, lines that the one had crossed and the other would break just to drag their old companion into the dirt._

 _Neither pulled the trigger._

 _Their eyes stayed pinned to one another, desperately searching for something to prove all their fears wrong. There was a friendship hidden deep in the layers of bitter rivalry but it had never seemed less real than now. Two boys that had played together, trained together and fought together had faded to nothing more than a whisper between the two men._

 _Neither moved, weapons trained on each other, wondering how it came to this._

 ** _Chapter 1; Iron Sights_**

* * *

 **"I** **ron Sights** are a system of aligned markers used to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in a scope. Iron sights are typically composed of two component sights, formed by metal blades: a rear sight mounted perpendicular to the line of sight and consisting of some form of notch (open sight) or aperture (closed sight); and a front sight that is a post, bead, or ring."

* * *

The boy's head crunched hard against the solid wall as he screamed in pain, his gurgled grasps echoing through the quiet alleyway. Despite the bright sunshine from the sky high above their winding alleyway, an uncomfortable darkness shielded the boy and his assaulters. He tried desperately to push back against the heavy hand that pinned him down, not quite an apology from his lips but squirming in a way that made him almost appear that he would be willingly sorry for anything if he could just get away from the older man's wrath. His nails ran across the rough edges of the concrete, scraping tiny pieces of spray-paint beneath his fingernails.

The larger man leaned backwards, examining the half-painted mural. The handiwork had been quick and sloppy. Absently, he wondered if the child had done it as some kind of twisted dare. It had certainly been sprayed onto the wall with speed and a particularly shaky hand, but the very fact that he had managed to bring up the courage to try such an act filled Gajeel with a bitter taste in his mouth. "Kids these days," he scoffed, spitting onto the ground. "The fuck is that supposed to be, anyway?"

Levy looked up at the huge mark, the swirling curve and two sharp pointed ears or teeth. She had never quite been able to understand what the crude symbol was meant to depict but the mark of the Ogres had been uncomfortably prominent over the last few months. They had been always one of the least influential gangs but that had not deterred them this time. "I can't believe that anyone would try and tag this far into the Fairy's turf…" she whispered, looking in disbelief at the spray-can that rolling in front of her.

The murmurs of Jet and Droy could also be heard in vague agreement at the sheer audacity of the young boy's actions. "An Ogre of all things…" one muttered.

"When did things get this bad?" said the other.

Gajeel quietened their hurtful mutterings with the scream of his victim. He threw his head hard against the wall once again. The blood ran over his green symbol, dripping down to the floor as it merged with his tears. "P-please… please stop…" the Ogre begged. "I won't do it again, it was just some stupid joke…"

"Some joke?!" Gajeel hissed, dragging his fingers through the victim's hair and feeling several strands snapping in his painfully tight grip. "Is that what you think the Fairies are now, huh?! A joke?"

"N-No!" the child whimpered, one threat away from yelling that he wanted to run home to his mother.

"Well, why don't you? It's fucking hilarious, isn't it?" Gajeel continued, feeling the tightening skin as the boy gritted his teeth in pain. "We can all laugh at the Fairies now because it's just so fucking funny, right?" he said, every word hissing with a playful threat. He twisted his grip on the boy's tank top, pulled him back and cracked his head against the green spray paint once again. "Now _that's_ funny," he said, a twisted laugh hissing through metallic teeth.

"Gajeel, stop it!" Levy said quickly, taking a small step forwards. Her face was draining of colour as she watched the blood running down the bottom half of her family's symbol, the upper portion already ruined by thick green paint. It stung her as much as Gajeel and she could understand the anger which shook his body: The reputation of their gang had been ruined by more than just one boy with an overeager ambition to spray the world. She bit her lip, stopping herself from explaining her warning. Though everyone in Magnolia city knew the reasons, she didn't dare say a word while the boy listened intently for some hint of saving.

Gajeel didn't want to stop. He wanted it to be the old way. He wanted to pull back this boy's head and crack it against the wall time and time again until he had no blood left to give. Nothing would make him happier than finally allowing the Fairy's name to be given the respect it had earned over generations. A low, animalistic growl left his gritted teeth. With one stiff motion, he yanked the boy back away from the bloody wall and threw him down into the ground. His gun slipped out of his jacket and pointed straight between the Ogre's eyes before he could even raise his gaze.

"Gajeel!" Levy warned him again quickly, her voice stern and filled with urgency.

"Seven years," the words hissed to his very core, burning and twisting through every muscle in his body. He had felt more exhausted from seven years of silence than he would have from decades of fighting, blood and power. It was starting to show. Every moment of frustration seeped through his words, staring down at the criminal below his gun with unjustified hatred. "For seven _fucking_ long years we've been told to turn a blind eye to this kind of bullshit," he hissed, ignoring the way Levy's eyes opened wider. "And this is what we get for it? Fucking _Ogres_ thinking that they can tag our turf?"

The huge man lunged forwards, pushing his boot onto the boy's chest and staring into his terrified eyes, never once taking the gun from the trained point in the middle of his forehead. "It makes me _sick_ ," he growled. It had been years since Gajeel had seen this fear in anyone's eyes, the respect and the whispering prayers under the young man's breath. For someone who was supposed to be the muscle of his criminal family, it had been a disgustingly long time and he found himself missing the smell of cold sweat. "If this was the good old days I'd have smashed your skull into the curb by now, you know that?" he promised him. "Maybe I should, just for old time's sake."

The boy's eyes widened, shuddering as his prayers found a sound. Bouncing between the concrete walls, a distant siren downed out his incoherent ramblings and begging. No one needed to mention the threat of a possible police presence but the atmosphere visibly shifted. Gajeel became stiffer, Team Shadowgear looked around themselves apprehensively and the boy clearly didn't know whether to be afraid or hopeful.

Gajeel's sharpened fangs shone as he gritted his teeth, reluctantly pushing the gun behind his back but keeping his heavy leather studded boot pinned to the boy's chest. As he straightened himself up, he looked back at Levy, the gleam still in his eyes as he saw her bitterness staring down at their target. "Do ya think he's learned his lesson yet?" he asked the girl.

Levy glanced back at Gajeel, a small blush on her cheeks as she realised that she was put in charge of this man's life. For a brief moment, she was conflicted. She wanted to say no, wanted Gajeel to prove the worth of the Fairies to the world in one bloody smear. However, she knew that the actions of one Fairy against one Ogre could do nothing to seven years of a shattered reputation. Hesitantly, she nodded, unable to meet Gajeel's eyes as she did so.

He gave a small 'tsk', though wasn't too surprised. Slowly the Fairy fighter raised his spiked boot from the boy, watching as he quickly scrambled back. If nothing else, the siren had helped keep the pretences that Gajeel was still a deranged and blood thirsty fighter. Not that that was too far from the truth.

Levy was wrong, however. With every inch he crawled backwards, his fear was starting to fade into something braver. Feeling the wound on his forehead, his eyes flickered in disbelief between the blood on his fingers and the man who had caused it. "Y-you-you'll pay for this, bastards!" he breathed as a shaking warning.

Gajeel frowned, grinding his teeth so hard the crunching echoed through the emptying alleyway. His eyes never left the boy as he scrambled back to his feet, almost tripping up over his baggy jeans but doing nothing to slow himself down. Despite the bravado, the fear was still very clear both from his pace and from how defiantly he refused to look back, feeling the glare of the Fairies from behind him. It was nothing like the fear that they had once commanded, but it was a small reminder of the domination that they used to hold in Magnolia.

Gajeel had been glaring so intently at the fleeing Ogre that he barely noticed the small girl beside him picking up the green spray can. She bounced it in her hand a couple of times, throwing and catching as she felt the weight and the quiet rattle with every shake, before looking back at the boy. "Hey _asshole_ ," she called after him, receiving stunned looks from every one of her criminal family. "You forgot something!" she yelled before hurtling the can through the air.

The boy turned around just in time for the metal cylinder to knock into the side of his head. He yelped out in more pain, another red mark welling on his forehead even before the can dropped to the ground. It bounced once against the concrete before rolling at the boy's feet, spreading yet more of his blood against the floor. He looked back at them all, realising now there was not just one overpowering lunatic but five angry Fairies. "Fucking psychos don't even realise you're old news…" he spat, doing nothing to stop the second drip of blood running through his eyebrow. He turned away in disgust, but somehow despite all his injuries and fears he left as the victor.

The Fairies were still powerless.

* * *

According to every encyclopaedia that contained any detailed information on the city of Magnolia, the centre of power came from large and ornate city hall more commonly known to the citizens as Era. This was the common meeting place not only for the politicians that pushed the coin of the city around, but also for many of the high risers and business owners as they made their dealings both above and under the table. While true that Era was a formidable force in the city, it was a mistake to claim it was the true source of power. That building lay far deeper into the city streets itself, under the unsuspecting sign of 'The Vermillion'.

A constant 'no rooms available' neon light melted the Perspex glass from overuse, but as Gajeel Redfox and his comrades entered the hotel he knew that sign held no weight against a Fairy. It deterred the few foolish tourists that would delve too far into unknown territory and helped to convince the more baby-faced cops that the business was legitimate. Their papers were filled out correctly and on time every tax year and legally speaking the police had no reason to bother the booming business; those that would push further would only doing so for an incentive to turn the other way. It rarely worked, however, as the criminal organisation took their Head Quarters very seriously and even as the small party of Fairies made their way across the entrance hall nothing appeared out of place from a normal hotel. They even had a receptionist on the desk, pointing towards the elevator and staring them down through her half-moon glasses. Despite her bright purple hair, there was a serious look on her face as she continued to glare at them until they disappeared into the elevator.

"Does she have to be so… creepy?" Levy sighed as she awkwardly looked down to her converse, fiddling with the bottom of her oversized hoodie.

"I think that's the point," Droy admitted with a shudder as he quickly tapped the button for the second floor, willing the mechanics to move faster. "Isn't she supposed to throw off newcomers?"

"I heard Mirajane kicked her out of the brothel after she almost killed a guy getting too… kinky," Jet said, his own shiver as he imagined the venomous receptionist wielding whips and chains with a sadistic grin on her face.

"I can believe that," Gajeel grunted, his arms folded across his chest as he stared at the doors straight ahead of him. "At the end of the day, Laki is just like the rest of us. If the boss would just let her use those skills on the right people I'm sure she wouldn't be taking it out on Mira's customers."

An uncomfortable silence hung on the muscled man's words, soured by the horrific wailing of some foreign music screeching away. Gajeel gritted his teeth, seriously contemplating if the side-effects of tinnitus outweighed the satisfaction of shooting a bullet straight through the speakers. Luckily for all of them, the doors opened with a calming 'ding'.

The second floor of The Vermillion was the comforting home that represented the Fairy's true heart. The place was packed to the brim with loud and wild characters that could each fill a room alone. Smoke hung heavily from the low ceiling, mostly from two slightly older men in the back enjoying particularly large cigars as they leered at the beautiful women that offered around drinks and promises of a night in Mirajane's. The shady dealings were far from hidden on the second floor as money, weapons, drugs and favours passed between lips and hands. Flickering between slender fingers, cards that could make or break a man slipped across a poker table as a drunk woman smirked and collected the ante. A southern couple examined their newest weapons and fired several holes into the plush furniture. Gajeel grinned to himself as he made a mental note to ask them later for the details of their new irons, walking past them with Levy close in tow as they settled back into the crowds and sat at the bar, nodding at one of the smaller girls to get him a drink.

As he reached for the cold beer he couldn't help but notice a pair of eyes watching him, or more importantly watching the blood that seeped between the metal piercings across his knuckles. Gajeel grinned into his drink. "Something offend you, punk?" he sneered.

Levy, only just realising the company, peered around the giant man and stared back at equally built and equally vicious blonde.

Laxus narrowed his eyes, taking his time to answer. His glance slowly shifted between the bloody marks and the man, meeting Gajeel's childish confidence with a cold determination. The frown across the blonde's face deepened. Gajeel not only understood the reprimanding look but was purposefully toying him with silence. "What the hell have you been up to, Redfox?" Laxus finally accused.

Gajeel's lip curled into a smile. He was feeling cocky now, pretending he hadn't seen the small barmaid holding the metal tray close to her chest almost as a shield as she watched Gajeel's defiance. Laxus's rage was legendary, but the dark-haired muscle felt more than ready to test his mettle. He was bored. He was restless. Laxus was an easy target. "More than you damn well have, that's for sure," he chuckled to himself, pulling the drink back to his lips.

The snarl from Laxus was almost animalistic as he leapt forwards, suddenly taking the dark-haired fighter by the wrist. Before Gajeel could take even one sip, he was stopped from bringing the glass any closer. Laxus's eyes narrowed in warning, feeling the force of the dark Fairy's tensing arm beneath his grip.

The room submerged into a dense silence. Staring at the heavyset pair, no one dared even utter a whisper. Unspoken prayers for the inevitable spark glittered in their eyes, a hope and fear that the entire room would explode into carnage. Any duel between the two heavyweight bodyguards could end in nothing but bloodshed.

Laxus's eyes remained trained on his rival slayer, breathing heavy through his gritted teeth. "I'm not going to ask you again, bastard," he hissed, tightening his grip on the muscular wrist. "What _the fuck_ did you do?"

Undeterred, Gajeel tilted his head back and flashing his metallic teeth as he silently dared the apprentice leader to land the first hit. He had a taste for blood now. Despite still being an attack dog on a short leash, all he could do was bark until anything came close enough to bite. The playful gleam in his eyes hardened into a defiant anger, gladly taking the challenge of power and pressing his own face so close to Laxus's he could feel his hot breathing. "You ain't the boss of me, punk," he growled. "Probably not ever at this rate."

Laxus wasn't taking the bait, nor was he going back on his word. He wasn't going to ask yet again what had happened to the defiant fairy, or who's blood was running down from his knuckles and against the blonde's strong grip. He stared in silence back to the dark-haired man, waiting for something to break.

Levy swallowed hard, slipping between the two huge men and putting her arms between them both. Her eyes pinned to the blonde as she defended her closest friend. "The Ogres were tagging our mural on seventh," she said quickly, her face drawn and serious as she heard the sounds of shock from her friends all around. "Gajeel took care of the punk. Just one kid who got overzealous with a spray-can put in his place, that's it!"

Laxus took a step back, examining the fellow slayer for some hint that his girl was throwing lies to protect him. The agreeing mutterings of the rest of their team only twisted his features more into disgust. The shocked whisperings of criminals wrapped around him. The more that people talked the more he could feel the crackling anxiety twisting through the crowds. They echoed his own thoughts and fears, the creeping cold down his spine at the very thought that such a weak gang would attempt to disrespect their organisation just two blocks from their head quarters. Slowly, his fists tightened. The whispers pounded through his head, the worries of so many of the people he cared of growing louder and filled with more bitterness and more fear and more restlessness and more anger.

Suddenly his fist slammed into the bar. Every pair of eyes stared at him. The silence returned. The blonde's teeth gritted so hard his head ached but it blocked out the empathic pain. He had to be the voice of reason and the guiding light that he had trained his entire life to become. Every single Fairy in the halls was watching him, waiting for the wisdom that would only anger them further. "You shouldn't have done that!" he barked, glaring back at Gajeel. "One Ogre or twenty fucking Sabres, you should have come back here!"

"What for?!" Gajeel snarled. "So you can all sit on your asses while they take our fucking city!?"

"Gajeel," the single word slid through the air like a blade. The agile young woman glided through the crowds, causing a ripple as those around her took their halting steps back with bowed heads. There was an aura of strength beneath the fierce Erza Scarlet and the world trembled beneath her when she wielded the slick and commanding tone. Even the two heavyweight fighters kept their mouths shut, staring back at the redhead and waiting for her to say her piece. "You know that your actions went directly against our boss's specific orders," she warned him, standing straight and folding her arms confidently across her voluptuous chest.

Gajeel offered a 'tsh', but before he could say a word the redhead was challenged by one of few that could dare.

Across the silent hotel floor the sounds of the wildest fairy could be heard long before he was seen. "That's bullshit, Erza!" came the shout from deep within the crowds, fellow thugs awkwardly being pushed out of the way between the flashes of bright pink.

Erza didn't flinch, though the frown across her face deepened. The last thing that they needed was the entire hotel floor pulled into the eternal fight. She drew in a sharp and calming breath, her silent warning slipping through the air as she turned back to search for him.

The man finally pushed his way to the front, standing before one of his closest, most powerful teammates defiantly. Although the terror rippled through every fairy around her, he could only feel the fiery passion burning him from the inside, his constant frustration eating his words. He stood brave before the terrifying woman while so many more fell back from her, his sharp eyes pinned to hers. "You realise how close seventh is?!" Natsu yelled, his legs spread as he prepared to stand his ground.

She met his determination without breaking her expression. "I do," she remarked coolly, glaring down at the pink-haired intruder.

"You know that's our turf!" Natsu continued to scream at her, his fists gripped so tightly they were shaking. He could overcome any terror that the redhead would usually have over him while images of a broken Fairy symbol fuelled his fire. "That's always been fucking Fairies turf!"

She remained patient, ignoring the two juggernauts that were staring at the fire-starter with disbelief as he challenged the fierce redhead. "That's true, yes," she replied patiently.

"If we let them take that then you might as well let them have the whole goddam city!" he growled back to her, in complete disbelief of his own as he searched for some hint of his own passion in her eyes.

Her gaze narrowed, a small glimmer of her irritation towards him making its way through for the briefest of moments. "Natsu."

"Then what the fuck are we waiting for?!" he said, bounding even closer and staring up into the tall woman's sharp gaze. He gritted his teeth hard, seeing red as the world blurred together in a force of fury. "We've got to go!"

"That isn't the way," Erza spoke.

Natsu once again seemed to pay no heed to the terror that gripped his comrades. "Like hell it isn't!" he screamed, his feet pinned to the ground and fists tightening. "This is our family we're talking about. This is our lives, the lives of everyone here and I won't just sit here and let them take it away piece by piece. We can't just let them get away with it!"

"I never said that we would."

Natsu stopped suddenly. His eyes grew wide, staring at the redhead and waiting for her to retract her statement. Every sentence had been carefully chosen, every word deliberate and clear across hushed hall. Her last words bounced around his head, reading every possible hint of hope and confusion. He matched them against every argument and every flare of anger of almost a decade, trying to claw onto any previous time that Erza had even suggested that there was another way. "We're going to fight back?" he asked with a breath, the corner of his lips daring to tug into a smile.

Erza kept the frown on her face, turning away from the young dragon slayer and back to the large blonde. "Laxus, where is Makarov?" she asked calmly.

Laxus, too, appeared both sceptical and drawn aback by Erza's change. "Give you one guess…" he muttered.

Erza nodded to herself. "I see," she said simply, before turning back to the main crowd and the pink-haired boy before her. "The Ogres have taken things too far this time, I believe even Makarov will agree. I'll speak to him immediately. Do not do _anything_ until I return," she hissed as a quick warning, keeping her eyes trained on the excitable young man before her, even as she meant her words for every fairy in the hall.

Natsu just grinned, eyes gleaming in new hope. "Not a thing."

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 **I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! If so, please remember to leave a review and follow for future updates. Next up... Chapter 2; Glass Houses!**


	2. Glass Houses

**Chapter 2; Glass Houses**

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"METHAMPHETAMINE, aka YABA, TINA AND CHRISTINE, METH, ICE, GLASS, CRYSTAL METH or CRANK is an intensive stimulant with disinhibitory qualities. ... The drug can either be snorted or injected, or in its crystal form 'ice' smoked in a pipe, and brings on a feeling of exhilaration and a sharpening of focus."

* * *

Pipes hissed, vats bubbled, chemicals filtered through the air. A mirage of colours dived through tubes, dirty oranges and sickly yellows mixing with deadly liquids as clear as water. Stacks of half-filled bottles, canisters and glasses dotted in apparent chaos across the laboratory, but there was no hesitation as the dark-haired man reached for the correct black vial, feeling the viscous liquid swirling and tipping into the giant flasks. His eyes narrowed as he watched the clear liquid coming closer to the small white line, pouring with an expert steady hand. Precision was key to his craft, dancing between science and art. It was clear to see why some would consider this as 'cooking', the gathering of materials and weighing and measuring and mixing and heating until the perfect crystalline structure was made, but Gray always considered himself more of a 'maker'. He made intense highs, he made crippling additions and he made a lot of money. Even if many the users could not appreciate the subtle craftsmanship, they craved the fine quality of the high. To him, however, the precision and obsession in his creations was almost as tantalising as the ice itself.

He knew every test tube, every liquid and every inch of his laboratory like the back of his hand. When he heard the bubbling liquid over the loud radio, he instantly knew that something was wrong. His movements quickened as he ran to the far side, glancing at the heat plate. With one flick of his wrist he pushed it down to the lowest setting once again, the frown on his face deepening. There was only one way his apparatus could have suddenly turned to full temperature, his suspicions confirmed as the droning voices of the news station crackled out of focus, hopping from voice to song to advertisement. _"Natsu_ ," he hissed under his breath.

The dragon slayer grinned to himself as Gray finally recognised his presence, concentrating on finding the perfect radio station to irritate the drug merchant. "Sup, Ice Prick?" he greeted, settling on some cheesy boy band with painfully repetitive lyrics.

Gray gritted his teeth, continuing his mission around the laboratory to find every dial and Bunsen burner that Natsu had pushed to top temperature. "Get out of my lab, Flame Brain, you're making my batch taste like ash," he muttered, desperately trying to waft cool air to his closest beaker.

Natsu wasn't going to leave so easily. Instead he was much happier walking to the clearest table and using it as his seat, pushing back the tubes and glasses in his way. "What, this tiny batch?" he said, looking at the trays laid out ready. He had been watching Gray perform for years, every time watching his beloved ice creations grow smaller as the demand shrank away. " _Please_ , like anyone will notice. Your shit isn't even blue."

"I already told you it isn't _supposed_ to be blue!" Gray hissed. "Stop watching goddamn television and get a life that doesn't involve ruining my shit."

"Lyon's is blue," Natsu shrugged.

"That's because Lyon's quality is shit and he covers it up with food colouring and stupid gimmicks," Gray continued to grumble as he pulled out the nearest tray, deciding that now was the perfect time to shatter the crystals. He knew that Natsu was just asking to be punched right now, but he certainly wasn't going to rise to violence around thousands of dollars' worth of his equipment. "Not to mention his fucking Lamia bastards have taken over half the fucking city," he added, accentuating every bitter word with another stab into his sheet of crystal, sending the splinters across the table.

The grin on Natsu's face widened, eyes gleaming as he realised just how easy this would be. Pushing Gray's buttons was simple but directing his anger and frustration could be hit or miss. It would take a little more concentration to direct the shared anger of the Fairies towards their common enemies and Gray was only the first on a long list of challenges. "Not just Lamia," he said, waiting to be asked for more.

Gray stopped, adjusting the grip on his spike as he looked back at Natsu. He knew the tone in his voice even if he didn't recognise the grin that accompanied it, and felt the dread seeping into him. "What this time?" he whispered, unsure how much more bad news he could take from his family.

"Ogres," he explained, legs swinging back and forth and almost kicking the bottles under the table. "They were tagging seventh."

"Seventh?" Gray asked, eyes growing wider. "That's-"

"Yeah, I know," Natsu's gaze never left that of the fellow Fairy.

Gray's words caught in his throat as he watched Natsu, trying to read his mixed expression. Despite the cold that gripped the drug maker at yet another painful reminder of the Fairies downfall, determination rested in his childhood friend's eyes. There wasn't any hint of sadness or frustration to the pink-haired man: Instead there was an overpowering confidence, a widening grin and a childish eagerness that both filled Gray with hope and fear. "You have a plan," he grunted, dropping the spike and resting his hands on the table, leaning closer. It was a statement, not a question, and one filled with a gently warning tone.

With a careless grin and his own lean forwards, Natsu returned Gray's lack of enthusiasm with more than enough of his own. "Of course I have a plan," he said, barely able to contain his excitement. "The only plan we need; Plan T."

"Plan T is not a plan," Gray frowned heavily, memories of 'Plan Take Them Head On' in the past having mixed results to say the least. He still wore the scars. Hands pushing hard down on the table, he sighed, wishing that he could quickly fall into Natsu's expectant grins and childish hope but the image of a particularly furious redhead swam in the forefront of his mind. This idea had repeated itself all too many times but never before had anyone come so close to the base of the Fairy's heart. "Fuck…" he whispered under his breath, running a hand through his thick dark hair.

"Yeah…" Natsu said, his frown deepening as finally the hints of the hurt could be seen. This wasn't just a new desperate push forwards. This was the last straw. "Thing is, if we take them on, we've gotta take on the whole city with a fucking big bang."

Gray's jaw tightened. Now he understood why Natsu was plaguing him, understood the playful light bounding inside of him that did all it could to shield the fear of losing their respect to the lowest of gangs. The cracks were shining through in a way that only his closest of friends could see, and he was practically begging for Gray's help. Like so many times before, Gray wasn't certain if he secretly wanted him to talk him out of making his mistakes or to charge forwards by his side. The offer was undeniably tempting, but there was the lingering warning from their leader. "Natsu," he began carefully, words hissing through his teeth as he knew either way his head would be blown off – possibly literally. "Stop and think about this. You're talking about creating a war against the entire city."

"A war they already started!" Natsu snarled, his anger starting to show as he clenched the side of the table hard. "They started this when they marched into our territory! When they sold meth to _your_ customers, when they had their girls on Mirajane's streets, when they walk in our turf without fear or any god _damn_ respect for Fairies." His words were aflame, the cool playful nature slipping away. "We can either sit and let them take every part of our lives away or we can finally fight back. We need to show them just who Magnolia's number one gang is!"

A little surprised Natsu hadn't jumped on the table and decided his speech was powerful enough to kick away every other piece of glassware, Gray only hoped that meant the pyromaniac had enough respect for the toxic chemicals to realise why that would be a terrible idea. Not that he seemed to be showing much sense when it came to terrible ideas. Gray gave a small grunt in appreciation, knowing every argument the slayer gave rang through his head and sang to his own instincts. "I'm not saying you're wrong," he said, pausing heavily before beginning his contradiction.

"Then back me up here!" Natsu challenged his friend, jumping down from the table and stepping forwards. "Everyone knows the time is now. Even Erza is running through hoops to get Gramps on side."

Gray's curiosity was peaked, pausing his arguments. "Erza?"

"She's talking to the boss right now!" Natsu said, though even the hopeful pink-haired criminal had no doubt that she would have very little luck, just like every time before. "I know we can get half the guild in on this before she even comes back and by then they'll have no choice. Everyone wants to strike. Tell me you don't wanna show those bastards who's boss."

The hidden desires were beginning to seep between the cracks of Gray's hardened expression and he turned away, grasping the spike again with an uncomfortably hard grip. He wanted it more than he could say, the need suffocating him and all he could do was concentrate on breaking the ice in front of him. The message was buried deep inside him now, digging deeper and running closer to his heart. "… who have you got?" he asked through gritted teeth before he could stop himself.

Natsu stepped closer, counting on his fingers. "Gajeel, Luce, Elfman, Cana, Juvia-"

"Juvia?" Gray stopped him, looking at Natsu in surprise.

"Well sure," Natsu said with a mischievous grin. "She's coming with you, right?"

The deep-set frown reappeared, a look of loving hatred written all over the maker's face as he stared back at his comrade. "God fucking dammit, Natsu…" he said, unable to even deny that he was right. He could continue to argue for hours but they both knew eventually Gray would be leaving the lab ready to take on the world. He couldn't even deny that he was starting to feel the excited goose-bumps running down the back of his neck, twisting against the dread and beginning to win against his better judgement. He shook his head against the smile that was battling his frown. "Alright _, fine_!" he finally yelled, feeling Natsu hovering close with his expectant gaze. "I'll help your stupid little games. But the Lamia are mine."

The smile across Natsu's face was unlike anything he'd seen before, nor did it even come close to rivalling any smile that he'd had for over seven years. "Atta boy, Gray!" Natsu yelled out, clasping his friend by the shoulder hard and shaking him. He did nothing to contain his excitement, every nerve alive and filled with fire. He was laughing, even hearing the smallest of laughter from his friend as the anticipation bounced between them. There was no shame, no fear, no more dwelling on the pain of seven years of waiting. All that stood before them was the opportunity to show the world who was number one. "I'm finally gonna bring Happy and-"

"Don't push your luck, Flame Brain."

* * *

The Fairy Tail was a place of lechery, seduction and all things as pleasurable as they were crude. It was Makarov's favourite place in the world - besides The Vermillion he would hastily add - and nowadays there was truly very little reason to leave. The establishment provided entertainment, sleeping quarters, food, drink and all the drugs that he could possibly need – medically speaking. After all, he did have a serious heart condition, and one look at the girls dancing around their poles would make his faulty ticker bound like a pubescent boy's. It was clear to see that just as much as he appreciated the company, the business prospered from his presence. Everyone knew that Mirajane held the keys to the city as long as she held the Fairy boss close, and though luckily her venomous days as a terrifying dominatrix had long since passed she was still clearly a force to be reckoned with.

Neon signs flickered around the room, casting unnatural shadows and stripes of pink, green, yellow, blue and orange across naked breasts as the women flicked their hair back into admiring crowds. Their lips parted with gentle promises as they tilted glasses towards favourite customers, reaching into wallets placed tactfully close to crotches with wistful smiles. The heavy bass line melted with the sound of gasps and moans. It was hard not to be distracted.

Erza was less than impressed. Her scowl spoke a thousand words, the light tapping of her heavy black doc martins against the ground.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm listening," Makarov said quickly. Though he may have been the highest in command in what had once been the city's most influential gang, he wasn't above being intimidated by a particularly irritated woman. The fact that this woman was none other than one his own leading criminals did not change this fact. "You said something with… Ravens?"

" _Ogres_ ," Erza hissed, for what felt like the seventh time already.

"Yes, yes, of course, Ogres," he muttered to himself, doing nothing to swat back the giggling girls that were attempting to pull him back in his seat. He pulled the cigar back to his lips in quiet contemplation. "And… what were they doing again?"

As Erza's mouth opened to answer, her words were stolen by yet another distraction. From the corner of her eye she could see a burst of natural light seep into the room as both doors hung open wide, five shadows stretching across the brothel floor. It had been Mirajane's reaction that had stopped her words, however, a suddenly loud introduction as the platinum blond Madame ran to the stranger's side. "Welcome to The Fairy Tail, where all your dreams come true!" she said, not a single syllable faltering but filling Erza with caution. "It's not every day we get Ogres here. Perhaps I can get you a drink, or are you looking for a particular pleasure this evening?"

"That's alright, beautiful, we got stuff to take care of," came a sneering reply from one of the unexpected customers.

Erza's eyes grew wider. _Ogres._ It couldn't have been a coincidence. Slowly placing her hand on her weapon, she took a calming breath through her teeth. Pulling a trigger too early could be just as deadly as not pulling one at all, she thought to herself in panic as she glanced back to the leader, hoping that he could understand the silent warning.

Makarov only gave the smallest of nods before turning to the new crowd. There were five younger males, their combined age not even coming close to hitting the fairy boss's experience, but there was a confidence and bravado to the rivals as they walked across the enemy territory. Makarov chose to ignore this, brushing down his moustache absently as he looked towards the only one he recognised; A large man, more so in width than height, though he padded himself with heavy yellow and purple clothing and heavier bling. Everything about him screamed new wealth. "Banaboster," he greeted as amicably as he could towards a rival boss that had made his way into his establishment unannounced. "I didn't think you were The Fairy Tail type."

"Boss," Erza hissed under her breath, eyes pinned to her leader and her leader alone.

"Not now, little girl," one of the rival henchman grinned as he placed a hand on Erza's shoulder, ignoring the slight flinch. "The bosses are talking."

The old man frowned deeply, chewing on the end of his cigar in contemplation. Erza was glaring, burning holes through the back of Banaboster's head and moments away from drawing her gun and making it a physical hole. Makarov took in a deep breath and blew away a cloud of grey smoke. "Right," he said eventually, casually reaching for his drink. "I'm sure that you have a very important matter to discuss if you are coming all the way to our humble… establishment."

"Oh, we do," the near stranger's face crumpled into a business-ready tone, never once faltering from his enemy even if the old man had been careless enough to take his gaze from him. "It seems that one of your Fairies did a number on one of our Ogres. It was very unfortunate and traumatic, as I'm sure that you can appreciate. Our Ogres are hard-working men that need to be on top form, and this is unacceptable."

The tiny man stared into his swirling whiskey, apparently more intent on watching the liquid amber dancing beneath his fingertips than the intimidation techniques. "I had heard. You will have to forgive Gajeel, he can get quite protective," he said casually before tipping the glass back into his mouth.

The four men behind their leader chuckled to themselves, eyes flashing maniacally against the neon reds. Banaboster stood tall and silent for a few moments, twisting the golden rings around his fingers. "I'm afraid that we will have some difficulty forgiving. You understand, this is a world of business. The boy cannot work to his full capacity – who is going to buy from a scarred boy? To fully make amends we would require some kind of…. _compensation_ ," he said, finishing with a small smile and the echoed laughter of his gang.

Makarov took a quick glance over his glass. Five men, at least three of which were making threatening gestures or reaching for weapons, the other two which would no doubt follow if given the incentive. He glanced back down with a disinterested sigh, placing the glass back onto the table. "Very well. That is only fair after what we have put your boy through. Mirajane, will you get me the briefcase?"

Mirajane took a small step back, breath catching in her throat before giving a small smart nod. ' _I hope you know what you're up to…'_ her look warned him.

The Ogre boss was smiling now, placing his cigar back to his lips and taking a long, drawn breath and exhaled a heavy puff of smoke into his words. "I'm glad that we can come to some kind of arrangement. I always believed that you were a reasonable man, Makarov."

Makarov nodded, brushing down his grey moustache as he watched the beautiful Madame slipping behind the counter and pulling up a heavy black briefcase. Her movements were slow and deliberate, meeting the eyes of every one of her girls as they watched in concern and throwing back to them her own reassuring confidence. "Well, of course," Makarov continued, grumbling away to himself. "It's so easy to nowadays to pull a gun on someone and think that you're safe because you're at the right end of the barrel, but men like us know that isn't the case." He nodded to Mirajane as she slowly walked to him and placed the briefcase before him, her slender fingers unclipping each silver buckle and twisting it to face her boss. The smell of crisp green notes was almost tangible. Makarov brushed dollar after dollar beneath his hands, methodically pulling one wad of cash out after another. "It takes more than a few threats to protect someone. Sometimes the only way is non-violence."

"However, sometimes violence works well too." His hands finally hit the cold metal within the briefcase, wrapped around the grip, pushed down on the magazine, lifted, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

The shot blasted noise through the brothel. A few girls screamed, but most remained tight-lipped. The Ogres cried out. They gasped for breath, took staggered steps back and waited for the courage to raise their weapons. Banaboster was holding onto his bleeding leg, staring as the blood seeped through his fat fingers. All around was an array of metallic sounds. Ogres held tighter onto pipes and knives and the single gun, but the working girls loaded their firearms, removed their safeties, and pointed them straight to the five foreigners.

Makarov stood, despite his height somehow looming over the unruly gang and looking down upon them. "Compensation?" he repeated.

Banaboster panicked. He took a step back and cried out in pain as more blood gushed out of his injured leg. "You…. Makarov… Old friend… We can settle this in a more civil way…" he said, glancing back at his closest henchman and gesturing with his eyes to push forwards.

The man, though clearly battling his better instincts, gritted his teeth and ran forwards. Though the Fairy leader was carrying a very powerful firearm and the Ogre held only a baseball bat, the enemy was still old and frail and small, with rumours of a poor heart. The Ogre gave a war cry as he lunged forwards in one last attempt.

It quickly turned into a strangled scream. Erza's hand pressed solidly against his neck, his entire body running limp as she lifted him from the ground. "Not now, little boy," she hissed, mocking his earlier words. "The bosses are talking."

Makarov said nothing of the attempted assault, confidently brushing down his moustache. He had no need to keep his gun trained on Banaboster when every Fairy in The Fairy Tail had theirs aimed straight to the five troublemakers. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do to protect my brats," he said, turning to Erza, then Mirajane, before his eyes scanned every beauty in the brothel. He saw their eyes, saw their weapons and saw their bodies all at once. He loved every one of them for every part of them, but especially loved them like this. There was a unity, a shared breath as they kept themselves trained on their enemy even after years of silence. He couldn't have been prouder. "You are right, I am a reasonable man. I will let you leave with your lives, but if any of your punks decide to give my brats any problems again then we will be seeking _our_ compensation."

The Ogres didn't even have to look at one another to feel their thoughts, their frustrations and their overwhelming defeat. They clambered on top of each other to escape out of the door, the boss yelling at them all to help him with his injured leg. Erza held the overeager fighter for just a moment longer, letting him squirm and cry out and grip the hand that grasped his throat. The moment she dropped him, he fell over himself as he fought to stand again and rush out of the doors.

The Fairies did not cheer as they left. They looked at one another and nodded, but even through the brief smiles there was a fear for the future. "More will come," Erza said, her eyes glancing back to boss with her warning.

Makarov frowned in contemplation. He paused, soaking in the anxiety of the room and every frustration of seven years of silence. Seven years of sickness and telling himself nothing would change if they could just hold back instead of pushing forwards, but the Ogres presence broke all illusion. His brats were looking at him, wishing for him to see what they had been screaming for so long, waiting in dread for him to sink back into the shadows.

His hand slammed onto the table. "The Fairies are taking back Magnolia."

* * *

 **Thank you all for your patience. I'm still writing just incredibly slowly, and this story is so action-packed and complicated it makes for some difficult writing! Your feedback is always appreciated!**

 **Look out for the next chapter, 'The Game'!**


	3. The Game

**Chapter 3; The Game**

 _"The Game is common terminology for the sex industry in general. Pimps are often called 'Players'."_

* * *

Makarov stood in front of the gathered audience, brushing back his impressive grey moustache as he looked upon his beloved brats. He had raised, trained and cared for every one of these men and women. They could always find safety in his hotel, business when they could not fend for themselves, and a home when the streets were cold and uncaring. He loved them as if they were his own children, felt the pride of a father as he looked upon the expectant smiles and felt their nervousness as he shared their fears. It had been too many years since he had let them repay his kindness. "We need a plan to take back our city," he told them. "We need to strike them down hard and fast, before they even know what's hit them. It is not enough to just send a message; we have to ensure that they cannot retaliate."

Three leaders stood closest to the front, the 'Captains' of the Fairies, while their underlings gathered closely behind. Laxus stood closest to his grandfather. His personal bodyguard hovered around him while the rest of his fledglings hung further back, muttering between themselves. While unusual for the Madame of The Fairy Tail to leave her brothel empty, Mirajane also obediently stood stern-faced. She positioned herself on the opposite side of her boss, surrounded by her beloved siblings, working girls and their respective bodyguards.

"Whatever you need, Boss, you know that you have every Fairy's support," the third called to him clearly, standing alone between the other two Captains, her arms folded under her weighty chest. If Erza felt any fear, she hid it perfectly. "Tell us what you need us to do and we'll do it."

Makarov nodded back to her. "We need preparations to hit them where it hurts most: money, power, influence." He received knowing nods from a room filled with those that worshiped these three idols, and turned to one that he knew would understand their weight more than anyone. "Cana," he called, glancing at the woman in the far corner.

The brunette sat at the very back of the crowds, watching her boss with a raised eyebrow as she casually tossed her wavy hair over one shoulder. She was one of the few that had not stood to join the commotion, unwilling to stand behind any of the present Captains and instead staying in her familiar place at the poker table. While many of her comrades stood close to their chosen favourites, she refused to serve any Captain while her own was absent. "What?" she grunted, sounding rather disinterested as she twisted a playing card across her knuckles.

"I need you to make sure that the other gangs of this city have a string of particularly bad luck," Makarov informed her matter-of-factly.

"I hope you're not suggesting my games are rigged," she challenged in a low and unladylike growl.

He shook his head with an affectionate smile and shrug, ignoring the daggers she was glaring at him as he continued. "We must all do our piece to ensure that the enemy are as poor as they can be, in all ways. These rival gangs have had seven years to prepare for this, we cannot afford for them to fight with everything they have. I should say three months will take away enough wealth without raising too much suspicion," he grumbled. With only one part of his scheme cemented into place, the old man began to pace back and forward as he planned out loud. "In the meantime, we need everyone to work on their power and influence. We need to gather intelligence, deals that we can undercut, people in power open to manipulation," he muttered, glancing up. "Speaking of which…. I don't appear to have a full room. Erza. Where the fuck are the rest of your brats?!"

Hushed mutterings escaped through the thinned crowds. The room was busier than it had been when Gajeel had first announced the audacity of the Ogre's actions, but it was obvious that not every Fairy was present. Almost every one of Mirajane's girls and bodyguards stood around their Madame. Laxus's fiercest were clearly by his side, a smug smirk across Ever's face as she realised the fault. Even Gildart's and Mystogan's leaderless soldiers stood together despite their missing Captains. Many of the loudest and most impressionable members remained absent, however.

Erza's eyes flashed dangerously as she glanced through the crowd, quickly counting her closest of friends among the missing. Almost every one of her team, in fact. The whispered continued, more names repeated over and over. The ties between the members were as clear as their hunger for revenge. Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Lucy, Levy… The exact same members that everyone had imagined to be on the front lines at the first mention of a reclaim of power. Her eyes grew wide, images of the boss's wrath tangling with her own horror. " _Natsu,_ " she hissed, remembering his earlier defiance with a new burning rage. It was bad enough for her authority to be questioned so violently just a few hours earlier, she refused to believe he wasn't to blame.

Only one Fairy in the room continued to be unfazed by the whispering accusations, a wide smile creeping from beneath the bottle pressed against her lips. "Three months, Gramps?" Cana said with a small chuckle. "You probably have about three minutes."

An explosion stole their questions.

The walls shivered. The ground trembled. It was distant but loud, like a rumbling monster rising from the furthest corner of the city.

For one long, combined breath, the hall remained silent.

The sound of heavy boots storming across the room broke through the hushed shock as Erza pounced to the window. Pulling back the heavy curtains, she unveiled Magnolia.

The city burned. Near the docks, a pillar of red smoke and ash rose high above the horizon, twisting into the growing darkness of the clouds above. The redhead's frown deepened. "Natsu, what have you done?" she asked, recognising the pyromaniac's handicraft. Where there was an explosion, the pink-haired Slayer was usually close-by.

"That's the Sabretooth turf," Mirajane whispered by Erza's side, her sombre tone ringing through the Vermillion. Of all the gangs to start a fight against, the Sarbres were the most powerful and the most renowned. They would never turn back from a challenge, especially not one written in fire. She turned quickly back to the Boss. "They keep most of their weapons on the docks; Natsu must have burned down their warehouse!"

The Boss did not speak for a long time. The anger was heating inside of him, the painful squeeze of concern sharpening his breaths and reminding him why he had stopped fighting for so long. He did his best to hide the discomfort but the paleness of his face was clear for all to see. ' _Those brats will be the end of me…'_ he thought bitterly.

The whispers once again erupted. Natsu's insolence had caught the attention of every Fairy and it would certainly catch that of every criminal and cop of the city. There was a wave of disbelief, the shock rippling into a panic for some and blind excitement for others.

"Cana, tell us what you know," Makarov ordered Cana, his eyes stern as he felt the anger swell inside of him. Once again, of everyone in The Vermillion, only one woman continued to drink casually.

Cana glanced over to the thousand eyes against her. Though she felt no fear under their gaze, she was not a fan of being the centre of the attention either. Wanting nothing more than to return to her drink and complete her part in the looming war, she shrugged and explained just as she was instructed to. "Natsu's taking on Sabretooth, Gajeel's group are securing surveillance," she took a quick swig, wiping her mouth with the back of her arm and unknowingly leaving her mouth speckled in glitter. "I would guess Gray and Juvia are after Lamia? Lucy's doing her Zodiac shit, of course. And that's my cue to leave!" she finished abruptly, swinging her legs back off the high table and onto the floor, standing with a sway. "I hear The Quattro Brew Dog serves amazing drinks, will almost be a shame to take it down!"

"Boss," Erza quickly stepped forwards, hands clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. "Let me find Natsu and the others and bring them back for punishment."

Makarov considered all of this carefully, the distant sounds of the chaos that was starting to emerge outside filling his thoughts, the flickering of the red fire bouncing off the windows where curtains had been pulled back. Though he didn't want to admit it, at least Natsu's choice of target had been perfect, if impatient. "Find them," he said with no more mention of their fate. "We need to come up with a recovery plan quickly. We will keep in touch."

Erza gave a stiff nod as she took no hesitation in heading towards the door, ready to unleash her fury against her closest teammates.

* * *

Hips swayed, lips locked, sweat dripped from car windows. Hands roamed across sweaty and intimate areas, through hair and across buttons and zippers and all kinds of restraints. He never could have imagined being so lucky. This woman was a creature sent straight from heaven, wide blue eyes filled a foreign innocence but a body with the experience of a goddess. These were the kind of hips that could saunter into the finest of establishments, lips that would expected to be biting against the ear of some of the most influential men, and yet, somehow, she had landed herself on any old street corner, charging so little he had to stop himself from laughing. Her accent was strong and she seemed to not know quite how to hold herself or behave, not to mention how uncomfortably forward she had been in finding their location, so he could only assume that she was not familiar with the country, its customs and its currency. But now that his hand was running the zip down her back she was finally beginning to loosen to his touch.

She didn't stop her tantalising teasing, but he didn't complain. Every heavy breath instead of a press of lips, every hand which lingered higher rather than lower, every button which refused to come undone seemed an eternity in their mutual desires for passion. Suggestions were more precious than every dollar she was worth, every moment of waiting a torture for them both.

Her curled hair felt like a silk waterfall wrapped between his fingers. Her skin was soft and cool to touch and he wanted to touch every part of it. She was too good for his money. He might have argued she was too good for any money. He knew that a working girl could never feel the same anticipation that he could, but his inexperience held a lingering hope that she held onto every moment as preciously as he did.

She pushed his head back into the headrest, sharp fingernails scraping his scalp and setting his senses alive. For the briefest moment, he saw her clearly as a passing headlamp threw light into the car, her hair reflecting a midnight blue in the orange light. The lost look in her eyes sharpened, a deep understanding glimmering underneath and making his skin crawl without quite understanding why. "About time," she whispered, hands tightening through his hair.

He tilted his head back but confusion started to overpower the temptation. They had barely even begun but the way she spoke made it sound as if they were coming to an end. He opened his mouth to protest but it was drowned out by the sound of an engine revving.

The headlamp light did not go away. His eyes grew wider, seeing the beauty before him clearer with every moment that his eyes adjusted to the light. Something was wrong. For the first time since their encounter she was smiling, the harsh expression he had been instantly infatuated with turning smug and manipulative. Here was the adoration that he had craved, the excitement as her breasts lifted and dropped with a quickened heartbeat, but her attention was captured entirely by something behind him.

The man tried to push himself forwards, to push her away, but her fingernails dug deep into his hair and scalp, crossing the line between pleasure and pain. He cried out at the new unpleasant sensation. "You stupid bitch!" he called out, all libido gone as he felt the growing danger. Lifting his hands from her hips he instead tried to make a grab for her. His fingers reached for her neck, the image of her body turning blue as he drowned away her enticeful breath flashing before his eyes.

Before he could squeeze the car-door clicked. He only had time to turn before the hands grabbed him.

The eager young man was thrown out of the car with a heavy thud. He scrambled up, desperately trying to pull his trousers back up. Curses flew from his lips, trying to regain some modesty ready to fire straight towards the succubus and her henchman. The world grew colder. A long shadow of darkness blocked all warming light. He froze. The click of a gun held him in place. Eyes trembled as they glanced upwards, the tall silhouette blocking the bright headlamps. A reflection of a silver barrel kept him back.

"Mister Gray, you wouldn't ice a man with his trousers down, would you?" the whore asked, crawling across the seats towards him.

The silhouette barely moved, but the victim could have sworn he saw the grip upon his gun tighten. Even if he had been able to see what was behind the black motorcycle helmet, he doubted he would have been able to read his expression. "Did he hurt you?" came a stiff and low reply.

The woman smiled to herself as she stumbled out of the sweaty car. "Oh, Mister Gray is so very caring!" she said, throwing her arms into the air and doing little to cover her dishevelled appearance or pull her fallen clothes back around her. "Could you, um, being a little quicker next time though?"

The shadow once more didn't move, nor did he even seem to flinch. The man had to wonder what kind of knight in shining armour this was, to have so casually pimped out his girl and protect her too late to show any kind of dignity left. He glanced between them both, heart pounding through his ears as he heard the shadow speaking with a flat voice. "Juvia, make yourself decent," he ordered her. "We can't waste any more time. Remember to cover your face; we have to assume Pegasus still have the streets monitored."

"Okay!" she said cheerfully, pulling off the last of her clothing and disappearing into her handbag and retrieving bundles of fabric. The man's mouth hung open wide, watching as she poured herself over her new outfit and let only her curls cover her chest as she pulled on her underwear.

"Oi," he suddenly found the shadowed man so close to him that his heavy breath left fog against the reflective visor, his quietness approach sparkling with a terrifying warning. "What do you think you're looking at?"

The man's mouth opened and closed several times. In a moment of stupidity, he almost pointed out that he had seen and felt much more in their moment of passion, but he quickly stopped himself. Even with the smallest glance back he saw the woman had a red blush on her cheeks as she finally remembered her decency, throwing her new clothes back over her head and covering her face with a balaclava. The slit in the new dress proudly revealed a dark blue Fairy mark. He didn't dare see more than this, however, swallowing as he looked back the dangerous Fairy before him. "Wh-what are you going to do to me?" he asked. "Your boss-"

"Has had a change of heart," the shadow smirked as he narrowed his gaze, slowly standing back up again. "Juvia, get in the back. Our taxi driver is ready."

"Taxi… driver…?" he mumbled, before realising the masked man was talking about himself. He swallowed hard. "I don't know where you're expecting me to drive to but-"

"Oh look, Mr Gray! There's even some of blue shit back here!" Juvia exclaimed as she dived into the back of the car, lifting up the small clear plastic bag and shaking around the dyed crystal inside.

The Fairy lifted his head back up at the mention of the substance. Somehow, the victim knew that the masked man's eyes didn't wander to the woman's body once as she shuffled on the last of her clothing, but how he could possibly accomplish this he would never know. "Good to know," 'Mister Gray' hummed under his breath, reaching out a hand and pulling the driver to his feet unsteadily. "You've had a damn good night and sold it all, Lamia," he instructed as he concentrated on straightening his enemies outfit and flattening away his dishevelled look. "You see, we would be very interested in meeting your suppliers, in particularly Lyon Vastia. You know the name, yes?" The man caught a sadistic grin through the tinted glass as Gray saw the glimmer of recognition in the Lamia's eyes. He turned back to his partner in crime, a heavy pat on the back of the startled man's back so hard that he stumbled forwards, grabbing onto the car to stop himself falling. "I believe your new friend may have a way of getting us in, Juvia."

"Um, Mister Gray?" Juvia leaned forwards, holding onto the side of the seat in front of her as she watched. "We should not talk to men in charge?" she asked, her broken English changing the meaning of her words gently, though her questioning tone made it clear she was trying to point Gray in the right direction.

He murmured a small agreement. "Soon," he promised her, pulling back the seat that she was clutching onto and ignoring her wide-eyed stare. "We'll get them all, Juvia, don't worry. This is only round one."

* * *

 **Hey everyone. Sorry there's been no update for a while... possibly won't be for another long while as well, I have serious writers block. Luckily this chapter was already 99% done so here goes. Hopefully you'll enjoy :)**


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